Educate a Girl, Educate a Nation - Sierra Leone

Dear friends,

Excerpts From a Recent Speech: We would like to share with you excerpts of a recent, relevant speech on "Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society" by Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs - USA. (The link to full speech is provided below).

"In March at the UN Commission on the Status of Woman Secretary Clinton said, “The status of the world’s women is not only a matter of morality and justice. It is also a political, economic, and social imperative. Put simply, the world cannot make lasting progress if women and girls in the 21st century are denied their rights and left behind.”

We believe that investing in the education of women and girls is not only the “right thing to do; but it is the smart thing to do.” That is why we are committed to working with the United Nations and the international community in the lead up to 2015 to promote gender equality and the global empowerment of women and the education-related Millennium Development Goals."

What We are Accomplishing Together: * Here are the specific things mentioned in this speech that we are accomplishing together:

1. We are helping girls to stay in school

2. We are helping ensure their literacy. This is a critical first step for acquiring the skills needed to participate fully in one’s society. Of the 759 million adults who lack basic literacy skills around the world, two-thirds are women.

Together, we are a powerful force for change, helping to shape their lives! These girls are the future leaders of Sierra Leone. By investing into their lives, we are helping to advance the role of women in politics and civil society.

GlobalGiving Visit: On another note, on May 5th, scholarship beneficiaries had the unique opportunity to meet Britt Lake, the Program Operations Manager of GlobalGiving. Britt spent a day visiting Develop Africa's projects in Sierra Leone. A picture of Britt with a few of the beneficiaries is provided below.

Janet and the Sierra Leonean team were honored to host Britt. The visit involved a review and general monitoring of the different projects that Develop Africa has on GlobalGiving. We are happy to report that Britt was happy to see the progress being made and the work that we are doing with your support.

Thanks / Feedback / Upcoming Matching Opportunity: We continue grateful to you for your support which means more to these girls than you would ever imagine. We would appreciate hearing from you and receiving additional support from you in the next month as we plan towards the new academic year. And don't forget that June 16 is GlobalGiving's Matching Day, where they are matching all donations at 50% up to $1000 per donor per project. Thanks for your support.

cordially and best wishes

Sylvester

Links:

• Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women